City comparison
Mobile, AL vs Tuscaloosa, AL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Mobile, AL (88.1) and Tuscaloosa, AL (87.7, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Mobile, AL goes as far as $99,600 in Tuscaloosa, AL.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $972 a month in Tuscaloosa, AL versus $919 in Mobile, AL. On $100,000, that's 16% of take-home pay in Tuscaloosa, AL and 15% in Mobile, AL.
- Both are in AL, so estimated state income tax is the same: $4,735 a year on $100,000.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.0% moving from Mobile, AL to Tuscaloosa, AL ($106,437 → $107,510), while prices change by −0.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.4% in real buying power.
- Mobile, AL: price level 88.1 (much cheaper)
- Tuscaloosa, AL: price level 87.7 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Mobile, AL | Tuscaloosa, AL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.1 | 87.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,573 in Tuscaloosa | $100,429 in Mobile |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $919/mo | $972/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $74,445 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $4,735 (AL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,000 | $45,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL |
Rent areas: Mobile, AL MSA and Tuscaloosa, AL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Mobile, AL and Tuscaloosa, AL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Mobile | Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 60.1 | 58.2 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 84.2 | 84.4 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 96.7 |
| Overall | 88.1 | 87.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Mobile, AL → Tuscaloosa, AL
Roughly even
Buying power +0.4%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
70 Strong offer
Tuscaloosa, AL → Mobile, AL
Roughly even
Buying power −0.4%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
67 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Mobile, AL is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Tuscaloosa, AL is in Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL. The last column shows what a transfer from Mobile, AL to Tuscaloosa, AL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Mobile, AL | Tuscaloosa, AL | Real change, Mobile → Tuscaloosa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,344 | +1.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,431 | +1.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,410 | +1.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $107,510 | +1.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $127,044 | +1.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Mobile, AL | Tuscaloosa, AL | Tuscaloosa pay in Mobile dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,970 | $60,220 | $60,478 (−0.8%) |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $104,870 | $105,320 (−14.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $72,130 | $71,690 | $71,997 (−0.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,490 | $75,250 | $75,573 (−4.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.